Method for Producing L-Lysine or L-Threonine

ABSTRACT

A bacterium belonging to the genus  Escherichia  which has an ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine and which is modified so that a malic enzyme does not function normally in a cell, and a method for producing L-lysine or L-threonine, comprising culturing the bacterium in a medium to produce and cause accumulation of L-lysine or L-threonine, and collecting the L-lysine or L-threonine from the medium.

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(a) to Japanese patent application 2003-202842, filed Jul. 29, 2003, and is a continuation under 35 U.S.C. §120 of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/275,437, filed on Jan. 3, 2006, which was a continuation of PCT patent application PCT/JP2004/011220, filed Jul. 29, 2004, all of which are incorporated by reference in their entireties. The Sequence Listing on Compact Disk filed herewith is also hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety (File Name: US-177D_Seq_List_Copy_(—)1; File Size: 53 KB; Date Created: Oct. 24, 2007).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to a method for producing L-lysine or L-threonine using an Escherichia bacterium. L-Lysine and L-threonine are known as essential amino acids, and are useful as components in pharmaceutical compositions and diverse nutritive mixtures, such as additives to animal fodder.

2. Background Art

L-amino acids, such as L-threonine and L-lysine, are industrially produced by fermentation using L-amino acid-producing bacteria, such as coryneform or Escherichia bacteria which have the ability to produce L-amino acids. To improve productivity, a strain isolated from nature, an artificial mutant thereof, or a recombinant in which the L-amino acid biosynthetic enzyme activity is increased by gene recombination has been used as the L-amino acid-producing bacterium. The method for producing L-lysine is exemplified in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-165180, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-192088, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-253879, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-57896. The method for producing L-threonine is exemplified in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-304969, International Publication No. WO98/04715, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-227977, and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0110876.

Methods for increasing the ability to produce amino acids such as L-threonine and L-lysine include a method for increasing energy efficiency by modifying a respiratory chain pathway (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-17363), and a method for increasing an ability to produce nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate by amplifying a nicotinamide nucleotide transdehydrogenase (Japanese Patent No. 2817400), as well as a method of increasing an expression amount of an enzyme of the endogenous biosynthetic pathway.

In addition, methods for modifying common pathways of amino acid biosynthetic systems are known and include modifying anaplerotic pathways of L-amino acid-producing bacteria, such as an L-lysine-producing coryneform bacterium in which pyruvate carboxylase activity is increased (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-508921), an L-lysine-producing Escherichia bacterium which is deficient in pyruvate kinase (International Publication No. WO03/008600), and an L-lysine-producing coryneform bacterium which is deficient in malate quinine oxidoreductase (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0044943).

A malic enzyme is one of the anaplerotic pathway enzymes. In the Escherichia bacteria, it is known that each of the sfcA and b2463 genes encodes the malic enzyme (van der Rest, M. E., Frank C., Molenaar, D. J., J. Bacteriol., 182(24):6892-6899, 2000). However, whether or not a decrease in the activity of the malic enzymes encoded by the sfcA and b2463 genes is effective for enhancing L-lysine or L-threonine production has not been reported.

A metabolic flux analysis, which is also referred to as a flux balance analysis, is a technique for predicting intracellular metabolic flux distributions by construction of a stoichiometric model of intracellular biochemical reactions and linear optimization. This technique has been used in research into the abilities of biochemical reaction systems in microorganisms or for predicting intracellular metabolic flux distributions under different external conditions (Varma, A. and Palsson, B. O., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 60:3724-3731, 1994, Schilling, C. H., et al., Biotechnol. Prog., 15:288-295, 1999, and Schilling, C. H., et al., Biotechnol. Prog., 15:296-303, 1999). It has also been reported that a stoichiometric model was constructed for Escherichia coli (Pramanik, J. and Keasling, J. D., Biotechnol. Bioeng., 56:398-421, 1997, and Ibarra, R. U., et al., Nature, 420:186-189, 2002). Also known is an example of using such a stoichiometric model in metabolic engineering for lysine production for Corynebacterium glutamicum, which is used in amino acid production (Vallino, J. J. and Stephanopoulos, G., Biotechnol. Bioeng., 41:633-646, 1993). In addition, a large number of theoretical or experimental methods for metabolic flux analyses and their applications have been reported (Wiechert, W., Journal of Biotechnology, 94:37-63, 2002, Wiechert, W., Metabolic Engineering, 3:195-205, 2001, International Publication No. WO00/46405, International Publication No. WO02/061115, and International Publication No. WO02/055995). International Publication No. WO00/46405 discloses a method for predicting a gene required for growth based on a stoichiometric model. International Publication No. WO02/061115 discloses a technique for genetically and evolutionarily changing cells to impart optimal functions to the cells. Furthermore, International Publication No. WO02/055995 discloses a method for applying limitations of qualitative kinetic information, limitations of qualitative control information, and limitations based on DNA microarray experimental data under different conditions, to a stoichiometric model. Although all of these are methods for predicting more desirable intracellular metabolic flux distributions, no method has been disclosed for theoretically predicting a specific flux as a target for directly improving cellular substance production.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an Escherichia bacterium which has an improved ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine, and a method for producing L-lysine or L-theronine using the bacterium.

The inventors of the present invention assiduously studied to solve the problem and as a result, they found that production of a metabolic flux affecting substance production could be determined by (1) selecting the same number of free fluxes as the degree of freedom of a stoichiometric matrix calculated based on formulas of biochemical reactions from a substrate through a desired produced substance, (2) calculating metabolic flux distributions from random combinations of the free fluxes in a number sufficient for a statistical analysis based on the stoichiometric matrix, and (3) obtaining a regression equation which includes a minimum number of free fluxes which correlate to the substance production from the calculated metabolic flux distributions based on statistical analysis.

Determination of the metabolic fluxes of an L-lysine or L-threonine-producing bacterium by this method has revealed that a modification so that a malic enzyme does not function normally is effective for increasing the productivity of the bacterium. The present invention was accomplished based on the aforementioned findings and provides the following:

It is an object of the present invention to provide an Escherichia bacterium which has an ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine, and wherein said bacterium is modified so that a malic enzyme does not function normally in the bacterium.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the bacterium as described above, wherein a gene encoding said malic enzyme on the bacterial chromosome is mutated and/or an expression control sequence thereof is mutated so that the malic enzyme does not function normally in the bacterium.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the bacterium as described above, wherein said malic enzyme does not function normally due to disruption of a gene which encodes said malic enzyme on the bacterial chromosome.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the bacterium as described above, wherein the gene encoding said malic enzyme comprises sfcA.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the bacterium as described above, wherein the gene encoding said malic enzyme comprises b2463.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the bacterium as described above, wherein said malic enzyme is selected from the group consisting of:

(A) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 6, and

(B) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence comprising substitution, deletion, insertion, or addition of one or several amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 6, wherein said protein has a malic enzyme activity.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the bacterium as described above, wherein said malic enzyme is selected from the group consisting of:

(C) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 8, and

(D) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence comprising substitution, deletion, insertion or addition of one or several amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 8, wherein said protein has a malic enzyme activity.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the bacterium as described above, wherein a gene encoding said malic enzyme is a DNA selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a DNA comprising a nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 5,

(b) a DNA which hybridizes with the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 5, or a probe which can be prepared from the nucleotide sequence, wherein said hybridization occurs under stringent conditions, and wherein said DNA encodes a protein having a malic enzyme activity.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the bacterium as described above, wherein a gene encoding the malic enzyme is a DNA selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a DNA comprising a nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 7, and

(b) a DNA which hybridizes with the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 7, or a probe which can be prepared from the nucleotide sequence, wherein said hybridization occurs under stringent conditions, and wherein said DNA encodes a protein having a malic enzyme activity.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for producing L-lysine or L-threonine, comprising culturing the bacterium as described above in a medium so to produce and secrete said L-lysine or L-threonine, and collecting the L-lysine or L-threonine from the medium.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plot showing lysine production as a function of different values of free fluxes by using a dataset of 5000 random flux distributions. The lysine yields are shown for (a) isocitrate lyase flux, (b) malic enzyme flux, and (c) PEP carboxylase flux.

FIG. 2 is a plot showing lysine production as a function of values in equation 2 for a dataset of 5000 random flux distributions. The input value is a flux in mmol/hr based on 10 mmol/hr glucose flux.

FIG. 3 shows the structures of pMW118-attL-Tc-attR and pMW118-attL-Cm-attR.

FIG. 4 shows the structure of pMW-intxis-ts.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained in detail.

<1> Escherichia Bacterium of the Present Invention

The Escherichia bacterium of the present invention is a bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia which has an ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine and which is modified so that a malic enzyme does not function normally. The Escherichia bacterium of the present invention may have an ability to produce either L-lysine or L-threonine, or may have an ability to produce both L-lysine and L-threonine.

A parent strain belonging to the genus Escherichia which is used for obtaining the Escherichia bacterium of the present invention includes, but is not limited to those described in a book written by Neidhardt et al. (Neidhardt, F. C. et al., Escherichia coli and Salmonella Typhimurium, American Society for Microbiology, Washington D.C., 1029, table 1). For example, the parent strain may be Escherichia coli. The Escherichia coli may be Escherichia coli W3110 (ATCC 27325) or Escherichia coli MG1655 (ATCC 47076), which are both derived from the prototype wild strain K12.

One may obtain these strains from the American Type Culture Collection (Address: 12301 Parklawn Drive, Rockville, Md. 20852, United States of America), for example. Registration numbers are assigned to strains, and one may request the desired strain by its registration number. The registration numbers for each strain are listed in the American Type Culture Collection catalog.

<1>-1. Imparting the Ability to Produce L-Lysine or L-Threonine

A method for imparting the ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine to the Escherichia bacterium is described below. The phrase “ability to produce L-lysine” as used herein means an ability to produce and cause accumulation of, or secrete, L-lysine into a medium, i.e. free extracellular L-lysine, when the bacterium is cultured in the medium. In particular, the phrase “ability to produce L-lysine” means an ability to cause accumulation of more L-lysine as compared with a wild-type, or parent strain.

The phrase “ability to produce L-threonine” as used herein means an ability to produce and cause accumulation of, or secrete, L-threonine in a medium, i.e. free extracellular L-threonine, when the bacterium is cultured in the medium. In particular, this phrase means an ability to cause accumulation of more L-threonine as compared with a wild-type, or parent strain.

To impart L-lysine or L-threonine-producing ability, conventional methods for breeding Escherichia bacteria and coryneform bacteria can be used, such as methods for obtaining auxotrophic mutant strains, strains resistant to analogues, or metabolic control mutant strains which have an ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine, and methods for producing recombinant strains wherein L-lysine or L-threonine biosynthetic enzyme activities are increased. In the breeding of L-lysine or L-threonine-producing bacteria, characteristics such as auxotrophy, analogue resistance, and metabolic control mutations may be imparted alone or in combination.

The L-lysine or L-threonine biosynthetic enzyme activity or activities may be increased alone or in combination. Furthermore, imparting characteristics such as auxotrophy, analogue resistance, and metabolic control mutations may be combined with increasing the L-lysine and/or L-threonine biosynthesis enzyme activity.

Examples of methods for imparting or increasing the ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine by increasing the L-lysine or L-threonine biosynthetic enzyme activity are described below. Increasing the enzyme activity may be performed by, for example, introducing a mutation to a gene encoding the enzyme or amplifying the gene so that an intracellular activity of the enzyme is increased. These may be performed by gene recombination.

Genes encoding the L-threonine biosynthetic enzymes include, but are not limited to, the aspartokinase III gene (lysC), the aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenease gene (asd), the aspartokinase I encoded by the thr operon (thrA), the homoserine kinase gene (thrB), and the threonine synthase gene (thrC). The abbreviated symbol of the gene is shown in parenthesis. Two or more of these genes may be introduced. The L-threonine biosynthetic enzyme gene may be introduced into an Escherichia bacterium of which threonine degradation is suppressed. An Escherichia bacterium of which threonine degradation is suppressed is exemplified by the strain TDH6, which is deficient in a threonine dehydrogenase activity (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-346578).

Genes encoding the L-lysine biosynthetic enzymes include, but are not limited to diaminopimelate pathway enzymes, such as the dihydrodipicolinate synthase gene (dapA), the aspartokinase gene (lysC), the dihydrodipicolinated reductase gene (dapB), the diaminopimelate decarboxylase gene (lysA), the diaminopimelate dehydrogenase gene (ddh) (all of the foregoing; International Publication No. 96/40934), the phosphoenolpyrvate carboxylase gene (ppc) (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 60-87788), the aspartate aminotransferase gene (aspC) (Japanese Patent Publication No. 6-102028), the diaminopimelate epimerase gene (dapF) (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-135066), and the aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenease gene (asd) (International Publication No. 00/61723), and the aminoadipate pathway enzymes, such as the homoaconitate hydratase gene (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-157276).

Furthermore, the bacterium of the present invention may have decreased activity of an enzyme that catalyzes a reaction for generating a compound other than L-lysine by branching off from the biosynthetic pathway of L-lysine, or may be deficient in such an enzyme. Enzymes that catalyze a reaction for generating a compound other than L-lysine by branching off from the biosynthetic pathway of L-lysine include homoserine dehydrogenase and lysine decarboxylase. Strains having decreased activities of the enzymes are described in WO95/23864 and WO 96/178930.

Increasing the activity of the enzyme encoded by the gene can be achieved by amplifying the L-lysine or L-threonine biosynthetic gene with a plasmid which is autonomously replicable in Escherichia bacteria, for example. The biosynthetic gene may be integrated into the bacterial chromosome. It can be also be achieved by introducing a gene which includes a mutation that causes the activity of the enzyme encoded by the gene to increase. Examples of such a mutation include mutating a promoter sequence, so that the transcription amount of the gene increases, and mutation in the coding region of the gene, so that a specific activity of the enzyme protein increases.

Other than gene amplification as described above, gene expression can be amplified by replacing an expression control sequence, such as a promoter of the gene on the chromosomal DNA or plasmid, with a stronger one (Internation Publication No. WO 00/18935). Strong promoters are known and include, for example, the lac promoter, the trp promoter, the trc promoter, the tac promoter, and the P_(R) promoter of lambda phage. Expression of the gene may be increased by replacing the endogenous promoter on either the chromosome or plasmid with a stronger one, or by modifying the endogenous promoter. Modifying the expression control sequence can be combined with increasing the copy number of the gene.

Examples of Escherichia bacteria to which the ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine can be imparted, which can be used in the present invention, are shown below. However, the bacterium of the present invention is not limited to these examples, but encompasses any bacteria which has the ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine.

Specific examples of strains resistant to analogues or metabolic control mutant strains which have an ability to produce L-lysine include Escherichia coli AJ11442 (FERM BP-1543, NRRL B-12185; Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 56-18596 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,346,170) and Escherichia coli VL611. Strain WC196 may be used as an L-lysine-producing bacterium of Escherichia coli (International Publication No. WO96/17930). The WC1-96 strain was bred by imparting AEC (S-(2-aminoethyl)cysteine) resistance to strain W3110, which was derived from Escherichia coli K-12. This strain was designated Escherichia coli AJ13069, and deposited at the National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, Agency of Industrial Science and Technology (currently National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, International Patent Organism Depositary, Tsukuba Central 6, 1-1, Higashi 1-Chome, Tsukuba-shi, Ibaraki-ken, 305-8566, Japan) on Dec. 6, 1994 and received an accession number of FERM P-14690. It was converted to an international deposit under the provisions of the Budapest Treaty on Sep. 29, 1995, and received an accession number of FERM BP-5252.

Examples of Escherichia bacteria having an ability to produce L-threonine include a L-threonine-producing mutant strain which is resistant to 6-dimethylaminopurine (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-304969), recombinant Escherichia coli strains such as a strain in which a threonine biosynthetic gene having an introduced mutation which causes excess production of L-threonine biosynthetic enzyme is amplified on a plasmid (Japanese Patent Publication No. 1-29559, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-227977), a strain in which a threonine operon is amplified on a plasmid (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2-109985), and a strain in which genes encoding pyruvate carboxylase and nicotinamide nucleotide transhydrogenase are amplified (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-51787).

Escherichia coli VKPM B-3996 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,175,107) is also encompassed by the present invention. The VKPM B-3996 strain was deposited at Russian National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (VKPM), GNII Genetika) on November 19,1987 and received an accession number of VKPM B-3996. The VKPM B-3996 harbors plasmid pVIC40 (International Publication No. WO 90/04636), which is produced by inserting threonine biosynthetic genes (threonine operon: thrABC) into a broad-host range vector, for example, plasmid pAYC32 (Chistoserdov, A. Y., Tsygankov, Y. D., Plasmid, 1986, 16, 161-167). In the pVIC40, the feedback inhibition by L-threonine of aspartokinase 1-homoserine dehydrogenase I encoded by thrA in the threonine operon is desensitized.

Furthermore, Escherichia coli B-5318 (European Patent No. 0593792) is encompassed by the present invention. The B-5318 strain was deposited at Russian National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (VKPM), GNII Genetika) on November 19,1987 and received an accession number of VKPM B-5318. The VKPM B-5318 is prototrophic with regard to isoleucine and harbors a recombinant plasmid DNA. This plasmid is constructed so that the threonine operon, including the threonine biosynthetic genes, is deficient in an attenuation region, for example, the endogenous transcription regulation region. The operon is positioned downstream from lambda-phage temperature-sensitive C1 repressor, the P_(R) promoter, and the N-terminal of Cro protein, and is constructed so that the expression of the threonine biosynthetic genes is under the control of a lambda-phage repressor and promoter.

<2> Construction of Escherichia Bacterium of the Present Invention

The Escherichia bacterium of the present invention is a bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia which has an ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine, and which is modified so that a malic enzyme does not function normally.

-   -   During the breeding of the Escherichia bacterium of the present         invention, either imparting the ability to produce L-lysine or         L-threonine, or imparting a mutation which causes the malic         enzyme (EC 1.1.1.38, EC 1.1.1.40) to not function normally may         be initially performed. Also, an Escherichia bacterium having         the ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine may be modified         so that the malic enzyme does not function normally, and the         ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine may be imparted to an         Escherichia bacterium in which the malic enzyme does not         function normally yet.     -   The phrase “activity of a malic enzyme” means an activity to         catalyze a reversible reaction to produce carbondioxide and         pyruvate from malate. Malic enzymes which use NAD (EC 1.1.1.38)         and NADP (EC 1.1.1.40) as coenzymes are known. (EC 1.1.1.38         (S)-malate+NAD+=pyruvate+CO₂+NADH+H⁺) (EC 1.1.1.40         (S)-malate+NADP+=pyruvate+CO₂+NADPH+H⁺). The malic enzyme is         also called “malate dehydrogenase”, or “malate oxidoreductase”.

The phrase “modified so that a malic enzyme does not function normally in a bacterium” means that it is modified so that the function of the malic enzyme should be eliminated or the activity of the malic enzyme should be reduced or attenuated compared with an unmodified strain such as a wild-type (parent) strain. The state where the malic enzyme does not function normally may be, for example, when transcription or translation of the gene encoding the malic enzyme is inhibited, and hence the gene product thereof, the malic enzyme is not produced or the production reduced, or a state where the gene encoding said malic enzyme on the bacterial chromosome is mutated and/or an expression control sequence thereof is mutated, and thus the activity of the malic enzyme is reduced or eliminated. Examples of the Escherichia bacterium in which the malic enzyme does not function normally include, typically, a gene-disrupted strain in which the gene encoding the malic enzyme on the bacterial chromosome is disrupted by genetic recombination technique, and a mutant strain in which an expression regulatory sequence or a coding region of the malic enzyme gene is mutated, and therefore a functional malic enzyme is no longer produced.

The phrase “modified so that an activity of a malic enzyme is attenuated” means that the activity of the malic enzyme is reduced compared with that of an unmodified strain, for example, a wild-type (parent) strain of Escherichia bacteria. The activity of the malic enzyme preferably is reduced to not more than 50%, more preferably not more than 30%, still more preferably not more than 10% per cell compared with the unmodified strain.

Examples of the Escherichia bacterium which can act as a control include Escherichia coli W310 (ATCC 27325) and Escherichia coli MGI655 (ATCC 47076). These wild-type strains are derived from the prototype wild-type strain K12. Malic enzyme activity, using NAD as coenzyme, can be determined according to the method of Korkes, S., et al. (Korkes, S. et al., (1950) J. Biol. Chem. 187, 891-905). Malic enzyme activity using NADP as coenzyme can be determined according to the method of Ochoa, S. (Ochoa, S. et al (1947) J. Biol. Chem. 167, 871-872).

The term “attenuation” includes, but is not limited to, the complete elimination of the activity. Malic enzyme activity using NAD or NADP as coenzymes may be attenuated each individually, or together. It is sufficient for the present invention that the Escherichia bacterium has the attenuated malic enzyme activity as compared with a wild-type or unmodified strain. However, it is preferred that the Escherichia bacterium of the present invention also has an increased ability to cause accumulation, or secrete L-lysine or L-threonine as compared to the wild-type or unmodified strain, and/or improved L-lysine or L-threonine productivity because of good growth, namely improved cell-subtracted yield.

The malic enzyme of the present includes the protein having the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 6 or 8. The malic enzyme may be a variant of the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 6 or 8, in that it may include substitution, deletion, insertion or addition of one or several amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 6 or 8, provided that it has a malic enzyme activity. “Several” as used herein, means, for example, 2 to 20, preferably 2 to 10, more preferably 2 to 5.

The substitution, deletion, insertion or addition of one or several amino acid residues should be conservative mutation(s) so that the malic enzyme activity is maintained. The representative conservative mutation is a conservative substitution. Examples of conservative substitutions include substitution of Ser or Thr for Ala, substitution of Gln, His or Lys for Arg, substitution of Glu, Gln, Lys, His or Asp for Asn, substitution of Asn, Glu or Gln for Asp, substitution of Ser or Ala for Cys, substitution of Asn, Glu, Lys, His, Asp or Arg for Gln, substitution of Asn, Gln, Lys or Asp for Glu, substitution of Pro for Gly, substitution of Asn, Lys, Gln, Arg or Tyr for H is, substitution of Leu, Met, Val or Phe for Ile, substitution of Ile, Met, Val or Phe for Leu, substitution of Asn, Glu, Gln, His or Arg for Lys, substitution of Ile, Leu, Val or Phe for Met, substitution of Trp, Tyr, Met, Ile or Leu for Phe, substitution of Thr or Ala for Ser, substitution of Ser or Ala for Thr, substitution of Phe or Tyr for Trp, substitution of H is, Phe or Trp for Tyr, and substitution of Met, Ile or Leu for Val.

The phrase “modified so that a malic enzyme does not function normally” can mean to decrease the number of malic enzyme molecules per cell and to decrease the malic enzyme activity per molecule. Specifically, the modification may be performed by making a gene encoding the malic enzyme on the chromosome deficient, or modifying an expression control sequence such as a promoter or Shine-Dalgarno (SD) sequence. Also, the modification may be performed by introducing substitution of an amino acid (missense mutation), or a stop codon (nonsense mutation) to a coding region, or introducing insertion or deletion of 1 to 2 bases to a coding region (frameshift mutation) or deleting part of the gene (Journal of Biological Chemistry 272:8611-8617 (1997)).

Examples of a malic enzyme gene (mez gene) on the chromosome include the sfcA gene, such as a DNA having the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 5. This DNA encodes the enzyme which uses NAD as a coenzyme. Another example is the b2463 gene, such as a DNA having the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 7. This DNA encodes the enzyme which uses NADP as a coenzyme.

The mez gene may be a DNA which hybridizes with the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 5 or 7, or a probe which can be prepared from the nucleotide sequence under stringent conditions, provided that it encodes a protein which has malic enzyme activity. “Stringent conditions” include those under which a specific hybrid is formed and a non-specific hybrid is not formed. For example, stringent conditions are exemplified by washing one time, preferably two or three times at a salt concentration corresponding to 1×SSC, 0.1% SDS, preferably 0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS at 60° C. The length of the probe may be suitably selected depending on the hybridization conditions, and is usually 100 bp to 1 kbp.

The gene encoding the malic enzyme (sfcA, b2643) can be obtained by PCR using the chromosome of Escherichia coli as a template, and oligonucleotides synthesized based on the following sequences of Escherichia coli registered in GenBank as primers: sfcA: AAC74552. NAD-linked malate . . . [gi:1787754], complement of AE000245.1:1208.2932, b2643: AAC75516. putative multimod . . . [gi:1788806], complement of AE000333.1:141 . . . 2420.

Chromosomal DNA can be prepared from a bacterium for use as a DNA donor by, for example, the method of Saito and Miura (refer to H. Saito and K. Miura, Biochem. Biophys. Acta, 72, 619 (1963), Text for Bioengineering Experiments, Edited by the Society for Bioscience and Bioengineering, Japan, pp. 97-98, Baifukan, 1992) or the like.

The sfcA or b2643 gene prepared as described above, or a part thereof, can be used for gene disruption. The gene used for gene disruption is sufficient if it has a degree of homology that allows for homologous recombination with the sfcA or b2463 gene on the Escherichia bacterium chromosome. Therefore, such a homologous gene can be used. The degree of homology that should allow for homologous recombination is preferably 70% or more, more preferably 80% or more, still more preferably 90% or more, and particularly preferably 95% or more. Also, homologous recombination may occur if a DNA which is hybridizable with the gene under stringent conditions is used. The “stringent conditions” are conditions under which a specific hybrid is formed, and a non-specific hybrid is not formed. For example, stringent conditions are exemplified by washing one time, preferably two or three times at a salt concentration corresponding to 1×SSC, 0.1% SDS, preferably 0.1×SSC, 0.1% SDS, at 60° C.

The sfcA or b2463 gene can be disrupted by, for example, preparing, from the gene as described above, a deletion-type sfcA or b2463 gene in which a partial sequence is deleted so that a malic enzyme which functions normally is not produced. This deletion-type gene, or a DNA which includes the gene, can then be transformed into an Escherichia bacterium, and recombination caused between the deletion-type gene and the gene on the chromosome. The gene disruption by the gene substitution using homologous recombination has already been established, and is exemplified by using a linear DNA represented by a method developed by Datsenko K. A., and Wanner B. L. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2000, 97, 6640-6645) also called as a “Red-driven integration”, and a method using a plasmid harboring a temperature-sensitive replication origin (U.S. Pat. No. 6,303,383 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-7491). The gene disruption by the gene substitution using homologous recombination can be also performed by using a plasmid which doesn't have replication ability in a host.

In addition, a method based on a combination of the method called “red-driven integration” and an excision system derived from lambda phage (J. Bacteriol. 2002 September; 184(18): 5200-3. Interactions between integrase and excisionase in the phage lambda excisive nucleoprotein complex Cho E H, Gumport R I, Gardner J F) can be used as the method for disrupting a gene on a chromosome.

According to the red-driven integration method, a gene-disrupted strain can be constructed in one step by using a PCR product, which is obtained using synthetic oligonucleotides as primers which are designed to comprise part of a targeted gene at its 5′ terminus, and part of an antibiotic resistance gene at its 3′ terminus. Furthermore, the integrated antibiotic resistance gene can be removed by introducing attL and attR, which are attachment sites of lambda phage and the PCR product, and combining the excision system derived from lambda phage with the red-driven integration method.

Specifically, a strain in which the targeted gene is disrupted and the antibiotic resistance gene is removed can be obtained by the following method.

A linear DNA cassette comprising an antibiotic resistance gene, attachment sites of lambda phage and a target gene is initially prepared. This is usually prepared by PCR using a suitably-prepared template.

A template in which attL and attR (SEQ ID NO: 9 (GenBank accession No. M12458 and SEQ ID NO: 10 (GenBank accession No. M12459)) which are attachment sites of lambda phage, are inserted at respective terminals of an antibiotic resistance gene is used as a template of the linear DNA cassette. The template may be a plasmid, a gene inserted on a chromosome, or a synthetic oligonucleotide. While the antibiotic resistance gene is preferably a chloramphenicol resistance gene, a streptomycin resistance gene, or an ampicillin resistance gene, any antibiotic resistance gene can be used provided that the gene functions as an antibiotic resistance gene in Escherichia bacteria and is different from a marker gene which may be contained in two helper plasmids as described below. To easily confirm the acquisition of the antibiotic resistance, the antibiotic resistance gene which is employed can be one whereby the expression amount is increased by replacing a promoter sequence and the like, or one in which a mutation is introduced in its structural gene sequence so that an enzyme activity is increased. The linear DNA cassette is prepared in the following order from the 5′terminus: (targeted gene 5′ sequence)-(attL)-(antibiotic resistance gene)-(attR)-(targeted gene 3′ sequence).

The linear DNA cassette is integrated into the chromosome. As a helper plasmid for integrating the linear DNA cassette into chromosome, pKD46 can be used (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2000, 97, 6640-6645). pKD46 shows temperature-sensitive replication and ampicillin resistance, and includes a 2,154 nt DNA fragment of lambda phage (GenBank/EMBL accession No. J02459, 31088-33241), which contains the genes (γ, β, and exo genes) encoding Red recombinase of the λ Red homologous recombination system and which is under the control of the arabinose-inducible P_(araB) promoter.

pKD46 can be introduced into a host by electroporation. The pKD46-amplified strain is cultured with arabinose. The linear DNA cassette is introduced at the logarithmic growth phase and incubated at a high temperature to obtain a gene-disrupted strain which is resistant to an antibiotic by the antibiotic resistance gene in the linear DNA cassette. The confirmation of the gene disruption can be made by PCR or measurement of the concentration of L-lysine or L-threonine produced by the strain.

A helper plasmid for excising the antibiotic resistance gene is then introduced. The helper plasmid harbors a gene encoding integrase (Int) (SEQ ID NO: 13, GenBank accession No. J02459. B [gi:215104]) and a gene encoding excisionase (Xis) (SEQ ID NO: 15, GenBank accession No. J02459[gi:215104]) of lambda phage and shows temperature-sensitive replication. By introduction of the helper plasmid, recombination occurs due to recognition of attL (SEQ ID NO: 11) and attR (SEQ ID NO: 12) on the chromosome. The antibiotic resistance gene between attL and attR is excised and as a result, a structure that contains only the attL or attR sequence remains on the chromosome. By incubating at a high temperature, the helper plasmid is lost. Thus a strain in which the targeted gene is disrupted and the antibiotic gene is eliminated can be obtained.

Other than genetic engineering methods, the method for modifying the bacterium so that a malic enzyme does not function normally may be exemplified by a method of treating an Escherichia bacterium with UV irradiation or a mutagenic agent usually used for mutagenesis, such as N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and nitric acid, followed by selection of the bacterium with the attenuated activity of the malic enzyme.

The present invention has been achieved based on the metabolic flux information. This information was calculated by the following method for determining the metabolic flux affecting substance production using cells. However, the present invention is not limited to the method for obtaining such information, that is, the determination method.

The method for determining a metabolic flux affecting substance production using cells, includes the steps of:

1) creating a stoichiometric matrix based on the formulas of biochemical reactions of a substrate through a desired substance,

2) selecting the same number of independent metabolic fluxes from all metabolic fluxes as the degree of freedom of the stoichiometric matrix as free fluxes,

3) creating a sufficient number of random combinations of the free fluxes for a statistical analysis and calculating a metabolic flux distribution from each created combination based on the stoichiometric matrix,

4) obtaining a regression equation, including a minimum number of free fluxes that shows a correlation with substance production from the calculated metabolic flux distributions by a multivariate statistical analysis, and

5) determining at least one metabolic flux affecting substance production based on a coefficient in the obtained regression equation.

The metabolic flux used in the present invention is expressed as a metabolic reaction rate (flux) derived from a stoichiometric model of intracellular biochemical reactions and the law of mass action between metabolites; meanwhile, the metabolic flux distribution used herein consists of all the metabolic fluxes wherein each metabolic flux is assigned to each biochemical reaction.

In the first step of the determination method, a stoichiometric matrix is created based on the biochemical reaction formulas of a substrate through a desired substance product.

The biochemical reactions refer to a process in which intracellular metabolites are converted by enzymatic reactions in the cell, and which have been compiled in various databases according to organism type. For example, Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG, www.genome.ad.jp/kegg/) can be accessed for reference.

The substrate is a substance usually used by the cell as a carbon source, and examples thereof include glucose, sucrose, fructose and so forth.

The substance product includes not only a single kind of metabolite, but also an aggregate of metabolites, such as biomass (cell body). Substance production is usually evaluated as a production rate of a substance. In particular, when the desired substance is a biomass, it is evaluated as biomass yield. The biomass yield represents efficiency of conversion from substrates such as glucose into cell components such as protein, carbohydrate, nucleic acid or lipid.

The stoichiometric matrix is a matrix usually used in a metabolic flux analysis, and can be created by listing formulas of biochemical reactions of a substrate through a desired product substance by typical methods used in a metabolic flux analysis. Such methods, assuming a quasi-steady state of an intracellular metabolic intermediate, are generally known (Savinell, J. M. and Palsson, B. O. J., Theor. Biol., 154:421-454, 1992; Vallino, J. J. and Stephanopoulos, G., Biotechnol. Bioeng., 41:633-646, 1993). When reaction formulas are listed, reaction pathways may be simplified by assuming a series of reactions without branching as one reaction, or assuming metabolites converted by a reaction at a high metabolic rate before and after the reaction as one metabolite and so forth. When the substance product is biomass, a stoichiometric matrix can be described by listing biochemical reactions which lead to cell components.

In the second step of the determination method, the same number of independent metabolic fluxes as the degree of freedom of the aforementioned stoichiometric matrix are selected as free fluxes, from all metabolic fluxes.

Independent fluxes are a set of fluxes that should be specified to uniquely define flux in the metabolism network system as defined by a stoichiometric equation.

The method for setting free fluxes is not particularly limited so long as the same number of independent metabolic fluxes as the degree of freedom of the system to be analyzed can be selected. Although the independence of arbitrarily selected fluxes may be confirmed, the SIMS matrix (steady-state internal metabolic stoichiometric matrix) proposed by Reder can also be used (Reder, C. J., Theor. Biol., 135:175-201, 1988). In this method, specific groups of metabolic fluxes in the same number as the degree of freedom of the aforementioned stoichiometric matrix are determined among metabolic flux groups determined based on the aforementioned biochemical reaction formulas, and a metabolic flux is selected as a free flux from each determined metabolic flux group. Determining specific groups among the flux groups ensures that any flux in a group can be changed without affecting the flux in other groups. Therefore, it becomes possible to select one flux from each group as an independent free flux. When a free flux is selected from a flux group, a flux close to a branching point is preferably selected.

In the third step of the determination method, random combinations of free fluxes in a number sufficient for a statistical analysis are created, and a metabolic flux distribution is calculated from each created combination based on the aforementioned stoichiometric matrix.

Random combinations of free fluxes can be created by giving random values to the free fluxes selected in the previous step to create a dataset of combinations of different flux distributions. The method for giving random values to the free fluxes is not particularly limited so long as a method which generates combinations of free fluxes within a specific border is chosen. Said specific border is set to give biologically feasible values in later calculations. If the number of free fluxes is the same as the degree of freedom of the specified stoichiometric matrix, a unique metabolic flux distribution can be solved. For the solution, a matrix operation using an inverse matrix is commonly performed, and all fluxes are preferably normalized into, for example, certain amounts of substrate. When the substrate is glucose, all flux values can be represented, for example, with values per 10 mmol of glucose uptake. The solutions of metabolic flux distributions obtained from random free flux values as described above must be biologically significant. That is, all fluxes of non-reversible reactions must be 0 or more, and biomass forming fluxes must be 0 or more. To obtain combinations of more desirable free fluxes, conditions based on theoretical and/or empirical knowledge in substance production using cells can also be added. The number of combinations to be created, that is, the number of biologically significant flux distributions to be calculated, is not particularly limited so long as it is sufficient for a statistical analysis. Three or five values are usually used for one free flux. Therefore, when there are n free fluxes, there are about to the n-th power of the number of the values for one free flux of combinations. For example, when three values are used for one free flux, there are 3 to the n-th power (3^(n)) of combinations. That is, about 2,200 combinations can be used for seven free fluxes (n=7). Alternatively, since the number of values for each free flux in the dataset of biologically significant flux distributions can change depending on selected free fluxes or additional conditions, the number of combinations that may be used is about 3 to about to the n-th power (3^(n)), or to about 5 to about the n-th power (5^(n)) in total for n of free fluxes. To obtain solutions of biologically significant flux distributions in such a number, it is typical to start from combinations of random free fluxes using 6 to 10 values for one free flux, that is, combinations of free fluxes of six to the n-th power (6^(n)) or 10 to n-th power (,on).

In the fourth step of the determination method, a regression equation including a minimum number of free fluxes that show a correlation with substance production is obtained from the metabolic flux distributions (dataset of metabolic flux distributions) by a multivariate statistical analysis.

By performing a multivariate statistical analysis for the dataset of flux distributions calculated from random combinations of the free fluxes obtained in the previous step, a regression equation including a minimum number of free fluxes that shows a correlation with substance production can be obtained. The multivariate statistical analysis (including multivariate non-linear regression analysis and multivariate linear regression analysis) can be performed by using any technique so long as a technique is chosen which can examine correlations of free flux combinations with substance production. However, a multivariate linear regression analysis is useful. This method is described in, for example, Kachigan, S. K., Chapter 4, Regression Analysis in Multivariate Statistical Analysis 2nd Ed., Radius Press, New York, pp. 160-193.

The expression “shows a correlation with substance production” means that the coefficient of determination is significantly large, and “being significantly large” usually means that the coefficient of determination R² is 0.8 or higher, preferably 0.9 or higher.

A regression equation, including a minimum number of free fluxes (terms) that shows a correlation with substance production, may be obtained by successively changing the number of terms to obtain a regression equation. Such an equation that shows the largest coefficient of determination, including each number of terms, and enables selecting a regression equation including a minimum number of terms that shows a significantly large coefficient of determination. Alternatively, a regression equation may be obtained with the total terms except for one term to examine the degree of decrease in the coefficient of determination due to the exclusion of the term; the same procedure may be repeated with terms except for the term showing decrease in a small degree of the coefficient of determination, as the total terms; and when a regression equation that shows a correlation with substance production can no longer be obtained, the regression equation obtained immediately therebefore may be selected.

Although these mathematical procedures can be individually programmed, they can be readily performed by using commercially available mathematical computation programs such as MatLab® (trade name, MathWorks) and Mathematica® (trade name, Wolfram Research).

In the fifth step of the determination method, a metabolic flux affecting substance production is determined based on coefficients in the obtained regression equation.

Contributions of free fluxes to substance production using cells such as microorganisms, in particular, biomass yield or product substance yield, which are important in substance production, can be determined by utilizing the regression equation obtained in the previous step. That is, free fluxes that appear in the regression equation can be determined as those affecting substance production. Furthermore, since coefficients in the regression equation represent the magnitude of contribution, free fluxes having a substantially large coefficient (when fluxes are normalized, free fluxes having a large absolute value of relative coefficient) can be determined as metabolic fluxes that greatly affect substance production.

The determination method of the present invention can provide information which is important for improving bacterial strains, i.e., which free flux greatly influences the production of a target substance, and whether a free flux has a positive or negative effect on the production of a target substance. A flux that needs to be changed to favorably affect the yield and productivity of a target product can also be predicted.

For example, as shown in the examples described herein, it can be expected that bacterial strains with an improved lysine-producing ability can be created by enhancing activity of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase in lysine production using Escherichia coli. International Publication No. WO01/53459 discloses an example of improvement of lysine production by enhancing phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity. Therefore, it has been verified that a bacterial strain having a substance-producing ability can be created based on the determination method.

<3> Production method for producing L-lysine or L-threonine

The method of the present invention is a method for producing L-lysine or L-threonine, which method comprises the steps of cultivating the bacterium having an ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine in a medium, to cause accumulation of L-lysine or L-threonine in the medium or cells of the bacterium, and to collect L-lysine or L-threonine from the medium or the cells.

The culture medium used in the present invention may be a medium typically used for fermentation production of L-lysine or L-threonine using a microorganism. An ordinary medium including a carbon source, a nitrogen source, inorganic ions and the other organic components, if necessary, may be used. As the carbon source, various saccharides such as glucose, sucrose, lactose, galactose, fructose, and starch hydrolysate, various alcohols such as glycerol and sorbitol, and various organic acids such as fumaric acid, citric acid and succinic acid may be used. As the nitrogen source, various inorganic ammonium salts such as ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride and ammonium phosphate, organic nitrogen such as soybean hydrolysate, ammonia gas and aqueous ammonia and the like may be used. As a trace organic nutrient, it is desirable to add required substances such as vitamin B₁, homoserine, or yeast extract and the like. In addition, a trace amount of potassium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, iron ion, manganese ion may be added. The medium used for culture may be either a synthetic medium or a natural medium, so long as the medium includes a carbon source and a nitrogen source and inorganic ions and, if necessary, trace organic nutrients.

The cultivation is preferably performed under aerobic conditions for one to seven days at a temperature of 24 to 37° C., and a pH of 5 to 9. The pH of the culture can be adjusted with an inorganic or organic acid or alkaline substance, for example, ammonia gas and the like. The collection L-lysine or L-threonine from the culture medium may be performed by usual methods, such as an ion-exchange resin method, precipitation, and the other known methods, and combinations thereof. When L-lysine or L-threonine accumulates in cells, L-lysine or L-threonine may be collected by an ion-exchange resin method or the like from a supernatant obtained by disrupting the cells by ultrasonic or the like, and removing cell debris by centrifugation.

EXAMPLES

The present invention is further described in detail by referent to examples.

Example 1 Determination of Metabolic Flux with Respect to L-Lysine

(1) Creation of Stoichiometric Matrix

A stoichiometric equation for calculating a metabolic flux was constructed by assuming a quasi-steady state of intracellular metabolic intermediates (Savinell, J. M. and Palsson, B. O. J., Theor. Biol., 154:421-454, 1992; Vallino, J. J. and Stephanopoulos, G., Biotechnol. Bioeng., 41:633-646, 1993). The reaction formulas included in this model are shown in Table 2. Descriptions of the abbreviations used in the present invention are listed in Table 1. Some reactions without branching were consolidated to simplify the formulas. Since the pentose phosphate pathway is complicated, it was represented by two formulas. Reported data was used for the component ratio of biomass (Neidhardt, F. C. et al., Physiology of the Bacterial Cell., Sinauer Associates, Massachusetts, 1990) and the biomass was represented by using the reaction formula [68]. The degree of freedom of the stoichiometric matrix in this model was 7.

TABLE 1 3PG 3-Phospho-D-glyceric acid AcCoA Acetyl coenzyme A AcOH Acetic acid aIVA A-Keto-isovaleric acid aKG 2-Oxoglutaric acid Ala Alanine ALC Acetohydroxy acid Arg Arginine ASA Aspartic acid semialdehyde Asn Asparagine Asp Aspartic acid CHR Chorismic acid Cit Citric acid CO2 Carbon dioxide CoA Coenzyme A Cys Cysteine DDP Dihydrodipicolinic acid E4P Erythrose-4-phosphate F6P Fructose-6-phosphate FBP Fructose bisphosphate Form Formic acid Fum Fumaric acid G6P Glucose-6-phosphate GAP Glyceraldehyde phosphate Glc Glucose Gln Glutamine Glu Glutamic acid Gly Glycine Glyox Glyoxylic acid His Histidine Hse Homoserine Ile Isoleucine Ind Indole glycerol phosphate Isocit Isocitric acid Leu Leucine Lys Lysine Lysext Lysine product (extracellular) Mal Malic acid Met Methionine mDAP meso-Diaminopimelic acid mTHF Methyl tetrahydrofolate NH3 Ammonia OAA Oxaloacetatic acid PEP Phosphoenolpyruvic acid Phe Phenylalanine PPA Prephenic acid Pro Proline PRPP Phophoribosyl pyrophosphate Pyr Pyruvic acid R5P Ribose-5-phosphate Ribu5P Ribulose-5-phosphate SDAP N-Succinyl-L-2,6-diaminoheptanedioate SKA Shikimic acid Sed7P D-Sedoheptulose-7-phosphate Ser Serine Suc Succinic acid SucCoA Succinyl coenzyme A THDP Tetrahydrodipicolinic acid THF Tetrahydrofolic acid Thr Threonine Trp Tryptophan Tyr Tyrosine Val Valine X5P Xylulose-5-phosphate

TABLE 2 List of used reaction formulas.  [1] Glc + PEP --> G6P + Pyr  [2] G6P + 2NADP --> Ribu5P + 2NADPH + CO2  [3] r Ribu5P --> R5P  [4] r Ribu5P -->X5P  [5] r X5P + R5P --> Sed7P + GAP  [6] r Sed7P + GAP --> E4P + F6P  [7] r X5P + E4P --> F6P + GAP  [8] r G6P --> F6P  [9] r F6P + ATP --> FBP + ADP [10] r FBP --> 2GAP [11] r GAP + NAD + ADP --> 3PG + NADH + ATP [12] r 3PG -->PEP [13] PEP + ADP --> Pyr + ATP [14] Pyr + NAD + CoA --> AcCoA + NADH + CO2 [15] PEP + CO2 --> OAA [16] AcCoA + ADP --> AcOH + ATP + CoA [17] AcCoA + OAA --> Cit + CoA [18] r Cit --> Isocit [19] r Isocit + NADP --> aKG + NADPH + CO2 [20] aKG + NADPH + NH3 --> Glu + NADP [21] aKG + NAD + CoA --> SucCoA + NADH + CO2 [22] r SucCoA + ADP --> Suc + ATP + CoA [23] r Suc + FAD --> Fum + FADH [24] r Fum --> Mal [25] r Mal + NAD --> OAA + NADH [26] OAA + Glu --> Asp + aKG [27] Asp + ATP + NADPH --> ASA + ADP + NADP [28] ASA + Pyr --> DDP [29] DDP + NADPH --> THDP + NADP [30] THDP + SucCoA + Glu --> SDAP + aKG + CoA [31] SDAP --> mDAP + Suc [32] mDAP --> Lys + CO2 [33] r Glu + ATP + NH3 --> Gln + ADP [34] Glu + 2NADPH + ATP --> Pro + 2NADP + ADP [35] Glu + 5ATP + NADPH + Gln + Asp + AcCoA + CO2 --> Arg + 5ADP + NADP + aKG + Fum [36] ASA + NADPH --> Hse + NADP [37] Hse + SucCoA + Cys + mTHF --> Met + Suc + CoA + THF + Pyr + NH3 [38] Hse + ATP --> Thr + ADP [39] Thr + Glu + NADPH + Pyr --> Ile + aKG + NADP + NH3 + CO2 [40] r 3PG --> Ser [41] r Ser + THF --> Gly + mTHF [42] r PEP + E4P + NADPH --> SKA + NADP [43] CHR --> PPA [44] PPA + NAD + Glu --> Tyr + NADH + CO2 + Akg [45] PPA + Glu --> Phe + CO2 + aKG [46] CHR + R5P + 2ATP + Gln --> Ind + Glu + Pyr + CO2 + GAP + 2ADP [47] 2Pyr --> ALC [48] aIVA + Glu --> Val + aKG [49] Val + Pyr --> ALA + aIVA [50] aIVA + AcCoA + NAD + Glu --> Leu + NADH + CO2 + aKG + CoA [51] PRPP + ATP + Gln + Glu + 2NAD --> His + ADP + Glu + aKG + 2NADH [52] Ser + AcCoA + H2S --> Cys + AcOH [53] SKA + PEP + ATP --> CHR + ADP [54] Ind + Ser --> Trp [55] ALC + NADPH --> aIVA + NADP + CO2 [56] r NADH --> NADPH [57] 2NADH + O2 + 2ADP --> 2ATP + 2NAD [58] 2FADH + O2 +ADP --> ATP + 2FAD [59] r Asp + 2 ATP + NH3 --> Asn + 2 ADP [60] Isocit --> Glyox + Succ [61] AcCoA + Glyox --> Mal + CoA [62] Mal + NAD --> Pyr + CO2 + NADH [63] r R5P + 2 ATP --> PRPP + 2 ADP [64] mTHF + NADP --> NADPH + THF + Form [65] NAD + Gly + THF --> mTHF + NADH + CO2 + NH3 [66] ATP --> ADP [67] Lys --> Lysext [68] Biomass synthesis (described below) RNA (21.33%) 3.47 PRPP + 5.02 Gln + −5.02 Glu + 3.08 Gly + 6.17 Asp + 32.41 ATP + −32.41 ADP + 6.17 mTHF + −6.17 THF + 3.09 NAD + −3.09 NADH + 6.17 NADP + −6.17 NADPH + 1.16 CO2 + −3.47 Fum + −3.86 NH3 DNA (3.23%) 3.37 PRPP + 4.88 Gln + −4.88 Glu + 3 Gly + 6 Asp + 31.5 ATP + −31.5 ADP + 7.12 mTHF + −7.12 THF + 3 NAD + −3 NADH + 3.75 NADP + −3.75 NADPH + 1.12 CO2 + −3.37 Fum + −3.75 NH3 Phospholipid (9.47%) 20.8 AcCoA + −20.8 CoA + 1.95 GAP + 0.65 Ser + 44.2 ATP + −44.2 ADP + 38.35 NADH + −38.35 NAD + −0.65 CO2 Peptidoglycan (2.60%) 1.94 F6P + 1.94 AcCoA + −1.94 CoA + 1.94 Gln + −1.94 Glu + 2.91 Ala + 0.97 PEP + 0.97 Lys + 6.97 ATP + −6.97 ADP + 0.97 NADPH + −0.97 NADP + −0.97 CO2 Lipopolysaccharide (3.54%) 0.91 R5P + 0.91 F6P + 0.91 PEP + 15.47 AcCoA + −0.91 AcOH + −0.91 Glu + 0.91 Gln + 32.76 ATP + 12.74 NADH Protein (57.23%) 0.77 Gly + 0.96 Ala + 0.67 Val + 0.85 Leu + 0.44 Ile + 0.44 Ser + 0.48 Thr + 0.30 Phe + 0.26 Tyr + 0.01 Trp + 0.15 Cys + 0.22 Met + 0.54 Lys + 0.46 Arg + 0.16 His + 0.46 Asp + 0.52 Glu + 0.46 Asn + 0.52 Gln + 0.34 Pro Glycogen (2.60%) F6P + ATP Reversible reactions are marked with r.

(2) Selection of free fluxes and creation of random combinations of them Specific flux groups were determined according to the method of Reder (Reder, C. J., Theor. Biol., 135:175-201, 1988). A flux close to a branch point was selected from each group. Seven selected free fluxes are shown in Table 3. A unique solution for a flux balance can be obtained by specifying these 7 fluxes.

TABLE 3 List of free fluxes for obtaining random flux distribution Reaction number Enzyme name or reaction pathway name 2 Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase 15 PEP carboxylase 16 Acetic acid secretion 60 Isocitrate lyase (glyoxylate cycle) 62 Malic enzyme 64 Formic acid secretion 66 ATPase

From the about 300,000 combinations of values for 7 random free fluxes, those infringing any limitation concerning reverse reactivity and those showing values for both of lysine and biomass not exceeding the threshold levels set at 20% of each maximum value were excluded. As a result, a dataset was created of 5000 metabolic flux distributions in a biologically significant specific region. The results were represented by values based on 10 mmol glucose uptake, and a matrix was created with 5000 rows corresponding to the random flux distributions and 68 columns each of which corresponds to a reaction flux.

(3) Correlation Analysis by Multivariate Analysis and Determination of Metabolic Fluxes Affecting Substance Production

Multivariate linear regression of a condensed matrix including Z-scores of only columns corresponding to the 7 free fluxes was performed. The stepwise regression function of the MatLab statistical toolbox was used for multivariate linear regression. With this technique, biomass or lysine production can be derived with a linear function of 7 free fluxes. Identification of these 7 fluxes results in unique definition of the state of the system. Therefore, if all the 7 terms are used as parameters, the correlation coefficient becomes 1, indicating a complete fit. However, it is usually possible to obtain a relatively favorable fit with a fewer number of terms than in the equation. To try various combinations of terms, an equation showing the best fit for each number of contained terms was selected by using the stepwise function of the MatLab program. As for the biomass yield, a fit of R²=0.980 was obtained with only 4 terms, isocitrate lyase (ICL), malic enzyme (MEZ), PEP carboxylase (PEPC) and ATPase. When the number of terms is further decreased, the R² value is markedly decreased, and any reasonable fit could not be obtained. When reaction fluxes are normalized to a value per 10 mmol glucose and used as the input, an accurate equation was represented as follows:

Biomass yield=1.552−0.194 (ICL)+0.184 (MEZ)−0.194 (PEPC)−0.011 (ATPase)  Equation 1)

The lysine yield could be fit with a model including the same 4 parameters, and the result of R²=0.997 was obtained. Further, even when the term for ATPase was excluded, R² decreased only to 0.856, and the fit was still favorable. Therefore, the following 3 parameters were used for the model of lysine.

Lysine yield=−1.694+1.176 (ICL)−1.095 (MEZ)+0.162 (PEPC)  Equation 2)

Finally, the total carbon yield (C atoms) defined with the total number of 2 carbon atoms directing to biomass and lysine could be fit with R=0.956 by using only the term for ATPase with the following equation.

C atoms=34.3−0.314 (ATPase)  Equation 3)

These results revealed that the biomass yield positively correlated with the flux of malic enzyme, and that lysine production positively correlated with the fluxes of PEP carboxylase and isocitrate lyase (glyoxylate cycle). Usefulness of this regression analysis can be shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. When the fluxes of isocitrate lyase and malic enzyme are separately considered, no correlation with lysine production is observed as shown in FIG. 1, (a) and (b). However, when these fluxes are considered as a part of the regression equation 2), a correlation as shown in FIG. 2 can be observed, and the effect becomes clear. Thus, an invisible relationship between metabolic fluxes can be revealed with this technique. Yield of a target product can be improved by enhancing an activity responsible for a flux showing a positive correlation, and attenuating an activity responsible for a flux showing a negative correlation. That is, from this result, a guideline for improving bacterial strains could be obtained, and enhancement of the PEP carboxylase or isocitrate lyase activity or attenuation of the activity of malic enzyme showing a negative correlation is effective for lysine production. In fact, an example of creation of a bacterial strain showing an improved lysine producing ability by enhancing activity of PEP carboxylase in lysine production using Escherichia coli was disclosed in International Publication No. WO01/53459, and thus usefulness of the present invention has been supported.

Example 2 Determination of Metabolic Flux with Respect to L-Threonine

By the same method as in Example 1, an equation showing the best fit for each number of contained terms was selected with respect to L-threonine. As for the biomass yield, a fit of R²=0.986 was obtained with only 4 terms, isocitrate lyase (ICL), malic enzyme (MEZ), PEP carboxylase (PEPC) and ATPase.

Biomass yield=1.260−0.101 (ICL)+0.093 (MEZ)−0.101 (PEPC)−0.009 (ATPase)  Equation 4)

The threonine yield could be fit with a model including the same 3 parameters, and the result of R²=0.937 was obtained.

Threonine yield=−1.432+1.090 (ICL)−1.080 (MEZ)+1.087 (PEPC)  Equation 5)

These results revealed that the biomass yield positively correlated with the flux of malic enzyme, and that threonine production positively correlated with the fluxes of PEP carboxylase and isocitrate lyase (glyoxylate cycle). Therefore, with respect to threonine production, a guideline for improving bacterial strains could be also obtained, and enhancement of the PEP carboxylase or isocitrate lyase activity or attenuation of the activity of malic enzyme showing a negative correlation is effective for lysine production.

Example 3 Construction of Malic Enzyme-Deficient L-Lysine-Producing Bacterium

Strain WC196 was used as the L-lysine-producing strain of Escherichia coli which is resistant to AEC (S-(2-aminoethyl)cysteine) (International Publication No. WO 96/17930).

The malic enzyme from Escherichia coli includes one using NAD as coenzyme (EC 1.1.1.38) and one using NADP as coenzyme (EC 1.1.1.40). These enzymes are encoded by the sfcA and b2463 genes, respectively.

The sfcA and b2463 genes are deleted by a combination of the “red-driven integration” method, which was originally developed by Datsenko and Wanner (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2000, 97, 6640-6645), and the excision system method, derived from lambda phage (J. Bacteriol. 2002 September; 184(18): 5200-3. Interactions between integrase and excisionase in the phage lambda excisive nucleoprotein complex. Cho E H, Gumport R I, Gardner J F.). According to the red-driven integration method, a gene-disrupted strain can be constructed in one step by using PCR product obtained by using synthetic oligonucleotide primers designed to comprise a part of a targeted gene at its 5′ terminal and a part of an antibiotic resistance gene at its 3′ terminal. Furthermore, the integrated antibiotic resistance gene can be removed by further combining the excision system derived from lambda phage with the red-driven integration method.

(1) Disruption of sfcA Gene

As a PCR template, plasmid pMW118-attL-Cm-attR (its preparation is described below) was used. pMW118-attL-Cm-attR is a plasmid obtained by inserting attL and attR genes which are the attachment sites of lambda phage, and a cat gene which is the antibiotic resistance gene to pMW118 (TaKaRa Bio). The genes are inserted in the order of attL-cat-attR. The attL sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO: 11 and the attR sequence is shown in SEQ ID NO: 12.

PCR was performed by using primers shown in SEQ ID NOS: 1 and 2, and having sequences corresponding to their 3′ terminus ends of attL and attR and sequences corresponding to parts of the sfcA gene at their 5′ terminus, respectively.

The amplified PCR product was purified on an agarose gel and introduced into Escherichia coli WC196 containing plasmid pKD46 showing temperature-sensitive replication, by eletroporation. pKD46 (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 2000, 97, 6640-6645) includes a 2,154 nt DNA fragment of lambda phage (GenBank/EMBL accession No. J02459, 31088-33241) containing genes (γ, β, and exo genes) encoding Red recombinase of the λ Red homologous recombination system under the control of the arabinose-inducible P_(araB) promoter. pKD46 is necessary for integrating the PCR product into the chromosome of the strain WC196.

Competent cells for electroporation were prepared as follows. The Escherichia coli WC196 which was cultured overnight at 30° C. in LB medium containing 100 mg/l ampicillin, was diluted 100 times with 5 mL SOB medium (Sambrook, J. et al., “Molecular Cloning A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition”, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (1989)) containing ampicillin (50 mg/l) and L-arabinose (1 mM). The diluted product was cultured at 30° C. under aeration until the OD₆₀₀ became about 0.6, and then concentrated 100 times. Cells were washed three times with 10% glycerol to prepare cells ready for electroporation. Electroporation was performed with 70 μl competent cells and about 100 ng of the PCR product. 1 ml SOC medium (Sambrook, J. et al., “Molecular Cloning A Laboratory Manual, Second Edition”, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (1989)) was added to the cells subjected to electroporation. The cells were cultured at 37° C. for 2.5 hours, and then plate-cultured on L-agar medium containing 25 mg/l Cm (chloramphenicol) at 37° C. to select a Cm-resistant recombinant. Then, to lose the plasmid pKD46, cells were subcultured twice at 42° C. on Cm-containing L-agar medium. The obtained colonies are tested for ampicillin resistance. An ampicillin-sensitive strain without pKD46 is obtained.

The deletion of the sfcA gene of the mutant identified by the chloramphenicol resistance gene was confirmed by PCR. The resultant sfcA-deficient strain was designated as WC196ΔsfcA::att-cat.

To eliminate the att-cat gene which had been integrated into the sfcA gene, a helper plasmid pMW-intxis-ts (its preparation is described below) was used. pMW-intxis-ts harbors a gene encoding integrase (Int) (SEQ ID NO: 13) and a gene encoding excisionase (Xis) (SEQ ID NO: 15) of lambda phage and shows temperature-sensitive replication. By introduction of the pMW-intxis-ts, recombination occurs due to the recognition of attL (SEQ ID NO: 11) and attR (SEQ ID NO: 12) on the chromosome, and the antibiotic resistance gene between attL and attR is excised, resulting in a structure whereby only attL or attR sequence remains on chromosome.

Competent cells of the strain WC196ΔsfcA::att-cat were prepared according to an ordinary method, transformed with the helper plasmid pMW-intxis-ts, and plate-cultured at 30° C. on L-agar medium containing 50 mg/l ampicillin to select an ampicillin-resistant strain.

To lose the plasmid pMW-intxis-ts, cells were subcultured twice at 42° C. on L-agar medium. The obtained colonies are tested for ampicillin resistance and chloramphenicol resistance. An ampicillin- and chloramphenicol-sensitive strain without att-cat and pMW-intxis-ts is obtained. This strain was designated as WC196ΔsfcA.

(2) Disruption of b2463 Gene

Deletion of the b2463 gene in strains WC196 and WC196ΔsfcA was performed according to the method of (1) except primers of SEQ ID NOS: 3 and 4 were used as primers for disrupting b2463. Thus, the strains WC196Δb2463 and WC196ΔsfcAΔb2463 were obtained. The obtained strain WC196ΔsfcAΔb2463 was designated as WC196Δmez.

(3) Preparation of PCR Template and Helper Plasmid

The PCR template pMW118-attL-Cm-attR and the helper plasmid pMW-intxis-ts were prepared as follows:

(3-1) pMW118-attL-Cm-attR

For construction of the plasmid pMW118-attL-Cm-attR, the pMW118-attL-Tc-attR was used to start. Four DNA fragments were ligated:

1) BglII-EcoRI—the DNA fragment (120 bp) (SEQ ID NO: 11) carrying attL which was obtained by PCR amplification of the corresponding sequence of E. coli W3350 (contained λ prophage) chromosome using the oligonucleotides P1 and P2 (SEQ ID NOS: 17 and 18) as primers (these primers contained the subsidiary recognition sites for BglII and EcoRI endonucleases); 2) PstI-HindIII—the DNA fragment (182 bp) carrying attR (SEQ ID NO: 12) which was obtained by PCR amplification of the corresponding sequence of E. coli W3350 (contained λ prophage) chromosome using the oligonucleotides P3 and P4 (SEQ ID NOS: 19 and 20) as primers (these primers contained the subsidiary recognition sites for PstI and HindIII endonucleases); 3) the large (3916 bp) BglII-HindIII fragment of pMW118-ter_rrnB. pMW 18-ter_rrnB was obtained by ligation of three DNA fragments:

the large (2359 bp) fragment carrying the AatII-EcoRIpol fragment of the pMW118, pMW118 was digested with EcoRI restriction endonuclease, treated with Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I and then was digested with AatII restriction endonuclease;

the small fragment (1194 bp) AatII-BglII of pUC19 carrying the bla gene for ampicillin resistance (Ap^(R)) was obtained by PCR amplification of the corresponding sequence of pUC19 plasmid using oligonucleotides P5 and P6 (SEQ ID NOS: 21 and 22) as primers (these primers contained the subsidiary recognition sites for AatII and BglII endonucleases);

the small fragment (363 bp) BglII-PstIpol of the transcription terminator ter-rrnB was obtained by PCR amplification of the corresponding region of E. coli MG1655 chromosome using the oligonucleotides P7 and P8 (SEQ ID NOS: 23 and 24) as primers (these primers contained the subsidiary recognition sites for BglII and PstI endonucleases);

4) the small fragment (1388 bp) EcoRI-PstI (SEQ ID NO: 29) of pML-Tc-ter_thrL including the gene for tetracycline resistance and the transcription terminator ter_thrL, the pML-Tc-ter_thrL was obtained in the following way:

-   -   the pML-MSC (2001 #5) was digested with XbaI and BamHI         restriction endonucleases and then the large (3342 bp) fragment         was ligated with the fragment (68 bp) XbaI-BamHI carrying         terminator ter_thrL which was obtained by PCR amplification of         the corresponding region of E. coli MG1655 chromosome using the         oligonucleotides P9 and P10 (SEQ ID NOS: 25 and 26) as primers         (these primers contained the subsidiary recognition sites for         XbaI and BamHI endonucleases), the product of this reaction was         the plasmid pML-ter_thrL;

then the pML-ter_thrL was digested with KpnI and XbaI restriction endonucleases then treated with Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I and then was ligated with the small (1317 bp) EcoRI-Van9II fragment of pBR322 including the gene for tetracycline resistance (pBR322 was digested with EcoRI and Van9II restriction endonucleases then which have been treated with Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I), the product of this reaction was the plasmid pML-Tc-ter_thrL;

so pMW118-attL-Tc-attR was obtained. pMW118-attL-Cm-attR was constructed by ligation of large (4413 bp) BamHI-XbaI fragment of pMW118-attL-Tc-attR and BglII-XbaI the artificial DNA fragment (1162 bp) including the promoter P_(A2) (the early promoter of the phage T7), the cat gene for chloramphenicol resistance (Cm^(R)), the transcription terminator ter_thrL and attR. The artificial DNA fragment (SEQ ID NO: 30) was obtained in the following way: 1. the pML-MSC (2001 #5) was digested with KpnI and XbaI restriction endonucleases and ligated with the small (120 bp) KpnI-XbaI fragment which includes the promoter P_(A2) (the early promoter of the phage T7) obtained by PCR amplification of the corresponding region of phage T7 DNA the oligonucleotides P11 and P12 (SEQ ID NOS: 27 and 28) as primers (these primers contained the subsidiary recognition sites for KpnI and XbaI endonucleases), the product of this reaction was the plasmid pML-P_(A2)-MCS; 2. then the XbaI site was deleted from the pML-P_(A2)-MCS, the product of this reaction was the plasmid pML-P_(A2)-MCS(XbaI⁻); 3. then the small fragment (928 bp) BglII-HindIII of the pML-P_(A2)-MCS(XbaI⁻) including the promoter P_(A2) (the early promoter of the phage T7) and gene cat for chloramphenicol resistance (Cm^(R)) was ligated with the small (234 bp) fragment HindIII-HindIII of pMW118-attL-Tc-attR including the transcription terminator ter_thrL and attR; 4. the required artificial DNA fragment (1156 bp) was obtained by PCR amplification with the ligation reaction mixture using the oligonucleotides P9 and P4 (SEQ ID NOS: 25 and 20) as primers (these primers contained the subsidiary recognition sites for HindIII and XbaI endonucleases).

(3-2) pMW-intxis-ts

Initially, two DNA fragments were amplified using phage X DNA (“Fermentas”) as a template. The first one included the region from nt 37168 to 38046 (SEQ ID NO: 39) and also contained the gene encoding the cI repressor, promoters Prm and Pr, and leader sequence of the cro gene. This fragment was obtained using the P1′ and P2′ oligonucleotides (SEQ ID NOS: 31 and 32) as primers. The second fragment carried xis-int genes of phage λ and comprised the region from nt 27801 to 29100 (SEQ ID NO: 40). Oligonucleotides P3′ and P4′ (SEQ ID NOS: 33 and 34) were used as primers for its amplification. All primers contained appropriate endonuclease recognition sites.

The obtained PCR-amplified fragment, carrying the cI repressor, was digested with restriction endonuclease ClaI, treated with Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I, and then digested with EcoRI restriction endonuclease. The second PCR-amplified fragment was digested with EcoRI and PstI restriction endonucleases. Then the pMWPlaclacI-ts plasmid was digested with BglII endonuclease, treated with Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I and then digested with PstI restriction endonuclease. A vector fragment of pMWPlaclacI-ts was eluted from the agarose gel and ligated with the digested PCR-amplified fragments.

Plasmid pMWPlaclacI-ts is a derivative of pMWPlaclacI which consist of the following parts: 1) BglII-HindIII—artificial DNA fragment including the lacI gene under control of the P_(lacUV5) promoter and RBS of bacteriophage T7 gene 10; 2) AatII-BglII—DNA fragment carrying the gene for ampicillin resistance (Ap^(R)) which was obtained by PCR amplification of the corresponding sequence of pUC19 plasmid using oligonucleotides P5′ and P6′ (SEQ ID NOS: 35 and 36) as primers (these primers contained the subsidiary recognition sites for AatII and BglII endonucleases); 3) AatII-HindIII—fragment comprising AatII-PvuI fragment of the previously constructed recombinant plasmid—pMW118-ter_rrnB. The later plasmid was constructed in the following fashion: the PstI-HindIII DNA fragment carrying terminator ter_rrnB has been obtained by PCR amplification of the corresponding region of E. coli MG1655 chromosome using the oligonucleotides P7′ and P8′ (SEQ ID NOS: 37 and 38) containing appropriate endonuclease recognition sites as primers. Before ligation, pMW118 plasmid and ter_rrnB DNA fragment (complement, SEQ ID NO: 41) were restricted with PvuI or PstI endonuclease respectively, treated with Klenow fragment of DNA polymerase I to obtain the blunt ends and then restricted with AatII or HindIII endonuclease. To construct the pMWPlaclacI-ts variant the AatII-EcoRV fragment of the pMWPlaclacI plasmid was substituted by AatII-EcoRV fragment of the plasmid pMAN997 including the loci par, ori and repA^(ts) gene of pSC101 replicon.

Example 4 Construction of Malic Enzyme-Deficient L-Threonine-Producing Bacterium

sfcA- and b2463-deficient strains were constructed from strain VKPM B-5318. The strain VKPM B-5318 strain was deposited at Russian National Collection of Industrial Microorganisms (VKPM), GNII Genetika) on Nov. 19, 1987 and received an accession number of VKPM B-5318.

A strain which was deficient in one of the malic enzyme (mez) genes (sfcA, b2463) was obtained in the same way as in Example 3 using the “red-driven integration” method. Namely, it was performed in the same way using the “red-driven integration” method in Example 3 except that the strain B-5318 was used instead of the strain WC196 to obtain the sfcA- or b2463-deficient strain as a mutant identified by the chroramphenicol resistance gene. The strain B-5318 in which sfcA was disrupted was designated as B-5318ΔsfcA. The strain B-5318 in which b2463 was disrupted was designated as B-5318Δb2463. A strain B-5318 with disrupted sfcA and b2463 genes, B-5318ΔsfcAΔb2463 was obtained in the same way using “red-driven integration” and the excision system method as in Example 3. The strain B-5318ΔsfcAΔb2463 was designated as B-5318Δmez.

Example 5 Evaluation of Malic Enzyme-Deficient Strain

<5-1> Evaluation of L-Threonine-Producing Bacterium which is b2463-Deficient Strain

The strains B-5318Ab2463 and B-5318 were each cultured on LB agar medium (10 g/L of trypton, 5 g/L of yeast extract, 5 g/L of NaCl and 15 g/L of agar) containing 20 mg/L of streptomycin sulfate and 25 mg/L of kanamycin sulfate at 37° C. for 24 hours, and bacterial cells were taked from one-fifth of the plate and inoculated into 50 mL of LB liquid medium (10 g/L of trypton, 5 g/L of yeast extract, and 5 g/L of NaCl) containing 20 mg/L of streptomycin sulfate and 25 mg/L of kanamycin sulfate to perform preculture at 40° C. and 144 rpm for 3.5 hours.

After the completion of the preculture, the preculture broth was inoculated into 300 mL of a main culture medium contained in a 1 L-volume jar fermenter in an amount of 10% of the volume of the main culture medium to perform the main culture at 40° C. and pH 7.0. The composition of the main culture medium is shown below.

TABLE 4 [Composition of main culture medium] Glucose 100 g/L Yeast extract 1.8 g/L FeSO₄•7H₂O 18 mg/L MnSO₄•4H₂O 18 mg/L KH₂PO₄ 1.0 g/L MgSO₄•7H₂O 0.36 g/L (NH₄)₂SO₄ 4.5 g/L NaCl 0.6 g/L Streptmycin sulfate 20 mg/L Kanamycin sulfate 25 mg/L

pH during the culture was adjusted to 7.0 by adding ammonia gas.

After the added sugar was consumed, the amount of L-threonine was measured by liquid chromatography. The results are shown in Table 5.

When the b2463-deficient strain B-5318Δb2463 was used, the threonine yield was increased compared with the control strain B-5318.

TABLE 5 Strain Fermentation yield of L-threonine (%) B-5318 31.4 B-5318Δb2463 32.1

<5-2> Evaluation of L-Threonine-Producing Bacterium which is sfcA-Deficient Strain

The strains B-5318ΔsfcA and B5318 were cultured in the same way as in <5-1>.

After the added sugar was consumed, the amount of L-threonine was measured by liquid chromatography. The results are shown in Table 6.

When the b2463-deficient strain B-5318ΔsfcA was used, the threonine yield was increased compared with the control strain B-5318.

TABLE 6 Strain Fermentation yield of L-threonine (%) B-5318 31.4 B-5318ΔsfcA 32.2

<5-3> Evaluation of L-Lysine-Producing Bacterium which is sfcA- and b2463-Deficient Strain

The strains WC196, WC196ΔsfcA and WC196Δb2463 were transformed according to an ordinary method using a plasmid for lysine production which harbored dapA, dapB and dapC genes, pCABD2 (International Publication No. WO 01/53459) to obtain strains WC196/pCABD2, WC196ΔsfcA/pCABD2 and WC196Δb2463/pCABD2.

The strains WC196/pCABD2, WC196ΔsfcA/pCABD2 and WC196Δb2463/pCABD2 were cultured at 37° C. with L medium (as described below) containing 20 mg/l streptomycin until OD₆₀₀ on the medium became about 0.6. Then, an amount equivalent to the culture, of 40% glycerol solution was added to the culture. After stirring, the mixture is dispensed in appropriate aliquots and stored at −80° C. The stored aliquots are called glycerol stocks.

The glycerol stocks of the strains were thawed, and each 100 μl was uniformly spread on an L plate containing 20 mg/l streptomycin and cultured at 37° C. for 24 hours. The bacterial cells were taken from one-eighth of the obtained plate and inoculated into 20 mL of a fermentation medium (as described below) containing 20 mg/L of streptomycin to culture at 37° C. for about 16 hours by a reciprocating shaker. After the culture, amounts of lysine which had accumulated in the medium and the remaining glucose were measured by Biotech Analyzer AS210 (Sakura Seiki).

The results of L-lysine accumulation and cell-subtracted yield are shown in Table 7. The cell-subtracted yield which is a yield calculated by subtracting the amount of sugar used for bacterial cell formation, is calculated based on an assumption that 50% of consumed sugar is used for bacterial cell formation. As seen from the results, the cell-subtracted yields of the strains WC196ΔsfcA/pCABD2 and WC196Δb2463/pCABD2 increase compared that of the control strain WC196/pCABD2.

TABLE 7 Strain Dry cell weight Cell-subtracted Host Plasmid (g/L) yield (%) WC196 pCABD2 2.5 100.0 WC196ΔsfcA pCABD2 2.3 101.6 WC196Δb2463 pCABD2 2.2 104.7

The mediums used for evaluation of the sfcA- or b2463-deficient L-lysine-producing strain are described below. The reagents used were obtained from Wako Pure Chemicals or Nakarai Tesque unless otherwise noted. The compositions of the media used are shown below. pH was adjusted with NaOH or HCl for all media.

TABLE 8 (L medium) Bacto trypton (DIFCO) 10 g/L Yeast extract (DIFCO) 5 g/L NaCl 5 g/L pH 7.0 [steam-sterilized at 120° C. for 20 minutes] (L agar medium) L medium Bacto agar (DIFCO) 15 g/L [steam-sterilized at 120° C. for 20 minutes] (L-Lysine production medium for Escherichia bacteria) Glucose 40 g/L Ammonium sulfate 24 g/L Potassium dihydrogen phosphate 1.0 g/L Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate 1.0 g/L Iron (II) sulfate heptahydrate 0.01 g/L Manganous sulfate tetrahydrate 0.01 g/L Yeast exatract 2.0 g/L Calcium carbonate (Pharmacopeia) 30 g/L [adjusted to pH 7.0 with potassium hydroxide and steam-sterilized at 115° C. for 10 minutes provided that glucose and MgSO₄•7H₂O were separately sterilized.]

Example 6 Evaluation of Malic Enzyme-Deficient Strain (Amez) <6-1> Evaluation of L-Threonine-Producing Bacterium which is Malic Enzyme Deficient Strain

The strains B-5318Δmez and B-5318 were each cultured on LB agar medium (10 g/L of trypton, 5 g/L of yeast extract, 5 g/L of NaCl and 15 g/L of agar) containing 20 mg/L of streptomycin sulfate and 25 mg/L of kanamycin sulfate at 37° C. for 24 hours, and bacterial cells were taken from one of the plates and suspended in 5 ml of LB liquid medium (10 g/L of trypton, 5 g/L of yeast extract, and 5 g/L of NaCl). 0.5 ml of the suspension was inoculated into 50 mL of LB liquid medium containing 20 mg/L of streptomycin sulfate and 25 mg/L of kanamycin sulfate to perform preculture at 39° C. and 144 rpm for 4 hours.

After the completion of the preculture, the preculture broth was inoculated into 300 mL of a main culture medium contained in a 1 L-volume jar fermenter in an amount of 10% of the volume of the main culture medium to perform the main culture at 39° C. and pH 7.0. The composition of the main culture medium is shown below.

TABLE 9 [Composition of main culture medium] Glucose 27 g/L Yeast extract 1.8 g/L FeSO₄•7H₂O 18 mg/L MnSO₄•4H₂O 18 mg/L KH₂PO₄ 1.5 g/L MgSO₄•7H₂O 0.36 g/L (NH₄)₂SO₄ 4.5 g/L NaCl 0.6 g/L Streptmycin sulfate 20 mg/L Kanamycin sulfate 25 mg/L

pH during the culture was adjusted to 7.0 by adding ammonia gas.

After the added sugar was consumed and exhausted, 600 g/l aqueous glucose solution was added.

After 24-hour main culture, the amount of L-threonine was measured by liquid chromatography. The results are shown in Table 10.

When the malic enzyme-deficient strain B-5318Δmez was used, the threonine yield was increased compared with the control strain B-5318.

TABLE 10 Strain Fermentation yield of L-threonine (%) B-5318 35.9 B-5318Δmez 38.3

<6-2> Evaluation of L-Lysine-Producing Bacterium which is Malic Enzyme-Deficient Strain

The strains WC196 and WC196Δmez were transformed according to an ordinary method with plasmid for lysine production, pCABD2 (International Publication No. WO 01/53459) to obtain strains WC196/pCABD2 and WC196Δmez/pCABD2.

The strains WC196/pCABD2 and WC196Δmez/pCABD2 were cultured at 37° C. with L medium (the same as used in Example 5<5-3>) containing 20 mg/l streptomycin until OD₆₀₀ on the medium became about 0.6. Then, an amount equivalent to the culture, of 40% glycerol solution was added to the culture. After stirring, the mixture is dispensed in appropriate aliquots and stored at −80° C. The stored aliquots are called glycerol stocks.

The glycerol stocks of the strains were thawed, and each 100 μl was uniformly spread on an L plate containing 20 mg/l streptomycin and cultured at 37° C. for 24 hours. The bacterial cells were taken from one-eighth of the obtained plate and inoculated into 20 mL of a fermentation medium (the same as used in Example 5<5-3>) containing 20 mg/L of streptomycin to culture at 37° C. for about 48 hours by a reciprocating shaker. After the culture, amounts of lysine which had accumulated in the medium and the remaining glucose were measured by Biotech Analyzer AS210 (Sakura Seiki).

The results of L-lysine accumulation and cell-subtracted yield are shown in Table 11. The cell-subtracted yield is calculated based on an assumption that 50% of consumed sugar is used for bacterial cell formation. As seen from the results, the cell-subtracted yield of the strain WC196Δmez/pCABD2 increases compared that of the control strain WC196/pCABD2.

TABLE 11 Strain Dry cell weight Cell-subtracted Host Plasmid (g/L) yield (%) WC196 pCABD2 5.2 100.0 WC196Δmez pCABD2 5.8 103.4

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

According to the present invention, the fermentation yield of L-lysine and/or L-threonine is increased in a method for producing L-lysine or L-threonine by fermentation using an Escherichia bacterium. Furthermore, the present invention can be used for breeding L-lysine and/or L-threonine-producing bacteria belonging to the genus Escherichia.

While the invention has been described in detail with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art that various changes can be made, and equivalents employed, without departing from the scope of the invention. Each of the aforementioned documents is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 

1. A method for producing L-lysine or L-threonine, comprising culturing in a medium an Escherichia bacterium which has an ability to produce L-lysine or L-threonine, and collecting the L-lysine or L-threonine from the medium, wherein said bacterium is modified so that a gene encoding a malic enzyme is disrupted, wherein said malic enzyme is selected from the group consisting of: (A) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 6, and (B) a protein comprising an amino acid sequence comprising substitution, deletion, insertion of addition of 1 to 20 amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 6, and wherein said protein has a malic enzyme activity.
 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gene encoding the malic enzyme is a DNA selected from the group consisting of: (A) a DNA comprising the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 5, and (B) a DNA which hybridizes with the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO: 5 under stringent conditions comprising washing in 1×SSC and 0.1% SDS at 60° C., and wherein said DNA encodes a protein having a malic enzyme activity.
 3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said malic enzyme comprises the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:
 6. 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the gene encoding the malic enzyme comprises the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:
 5. 5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said gene is disrupted by mutating the coding region and/or by mutating an expression control sequence of the gene.
 6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the activity of said malic enzyme is attenuated due to said disruption.
 7. The method according to claim 2, wherein said gene is disrupted by mutating the coding region and/or by mutation an expression control sequence of the gene.
 8. The method according to claim 2, wherein the activity of said malic enzyme is attenuated due to said disruption.
 9. The method according to claim 3, wherein said gene is disrupted by mutating the coding region and/or by mutating an expression control sequence of the gene.
 10. The method according to claim 3, wherein the activity of said malic enzyme is attenuated due to said disruption.
 11. The method according to claim 4, wherein said gene is disrupted by mutating the coding region and/or by mutating an expression control sequence of the gene.
 12. The method according to claim 4, wherein the activity of said malic enzyme is attenuated due to said disruption. 